All Forms of Art

  Vatican Girl is a Netflix documentary about Emanuela Orlandi, a 15 years old girl resident in Vatican City that disappeared in the summer of 1983. The documentary tells us multiple theories about the reasons for her disappearance and what might have happened to her.  The family The uncertainty hurts too much. Emanuela’s family never gave up looking for her. All these years, they suffered, and they clung to every little piece of hope. In the documentary, her siblings and some friends talk about her. Who she was, and what she was like. They also talk about that last fateful day and their pain. At this point, most of them only want some closure. The hope is always there, but I don’t think that, after so many years, any of them believes that Emanuela is still alive. The Vatican is made of people This documentary is about Emanuela and her family and the pain the case caused them. Yet, if you watch it closely, the documentary criticizes the Vatican and its (to say the least) shad...

  Wednesday brings us back the Addams family in a great spin-off. If you don't like spin-offs and always feel they let you down, well, you may rethink your perspective. This one is really good.  Wednesday brings back that dark humor we always loved, giving us a fantastic time. Jenna Ortega What an actress! Many people say that she "was" the show. Well, there are many good things on the show, but those comments only tell us how amazing Jenna Ortega was as Wednesday Addams.  She had, without a doubt, a lot of work to build such a fantastic character. She had to learn a lot of stuff like playing the cello and sword-play… but the most impressive is how she could control (or hide) feelings.  She showed the perfect sense of indifference that characterizes Wednesday's posture without looking like apathy. She deserves congratulations for her excellent part and hard work.   Oh, the mystery… Who of us can ignore a good mystery? Even when a show is not that good, if...

  The Sandman is a recent Netflix show, and it's been having a lot of success among the audience. It is the right amount of "weirdness" and mystery, and that conjunction keeps you watching. How do you show you’re something more? In this first season, you get to know the characters. And, frankly, it seems like it's all this season is about: introduction. I felt like I went to a party, and someone introduced me to all the guests at once.  I'd like to focus on the main character and Tom Sturridge . He had a fantastic performance. This is no regular character. How do you show the public that you're not human?  Tom definitely did it. From the very first scene to the most simple ones, you always get the vibe that he is "something more". Congratulations, fantastic work. So many different characters Throughout the show, you get to know different characters from different spiritual beliefs. Here, they all belong to the same world. Some of them are pretty fun...

  As a fan of Neil Patrick Harris , I couldn’t ignore this show, so I decided to take a look. The story is quite simple. Michael is a gay man in his 40s, and after a relationship of almost 20 years, he is single again in New York City, and… the world has changed a lot! The disbelief and rage Michael’s partner leaves him with no explanation. This situation raises a lot of questions that are unanswered and leave Michael mad. What happened? Why me? He can’t deal with this. Michael is a bit self-centered and slightly emotional, and I don’t know if that’s the reason he’s such a fun character. However, I must admit that I wanted to hit Colin myself. What the hell? And we are never given an explanation! Even the viewer doesn’t know what actually happened. Gay Sex and the City ?  All over the place, you can find people saying that Uncoupled is the gay version of Sex and the City . I understand why, but I didn’t see it that way. We are talking about different characters and very diffe...

  This new season of Stranger Things started strong and is better than the previous one from the very first minute. Now, let’s pause to evaluate how huge those episodes are. All episodes are more than one hour long, and the last one is more than 2 hours! That’s not a show. That’s a movie franchise!  They don’t ruin the show by doing this or anything, but it can make it a bit more tiring.  Usually, there is a reason for you to see a show instead of a whole movie, right? So why not have more episodes but shorter ones? Vecna - was all worth it? Everything is connected, not only the hive mind of Vecna and its “things”. Everything was connected or depending on each other in this season. The Russians were fighting or, at least, using the same things that were attacking Hawkins. It may look absurd initially, but everything starts to make sense soon enough. The character Yuri made me laugh a few times. He is a bastard, I know, but let’s face it, his craziness gave a light touch...

  The third season of Umbrella Academy is here. And sure, it has a lot of drama, death (more or less definitive), and the end of the world kind of things, but it also has some amusing moments. This season was absolute nonsense, so the humor kind of saves it… So, let's go. 3rd - Luther in love  The third position of this rank goes to Luther. He is living an adorable love story with the enemy, which is hilarious.  He is so naive and clueless sometimes that he will get a few laughs from you. 2nd - Klaus Klaus is definitely the funniest of the cast, and it is not easy to choose a single moment. I would say that 90% of the times he appears on screen, he will make you giggle. Because of that, he deserves second place on this list. The coming back-to-life scenes are among my top favorites of him this season. 1st - Drug store fight The first place goes to the drug store fight. The stars are Diego and his supposed son, who is quite good at fighting. They deserve the gold medal, n...

  I just finished binge-watching the two seasons of Get Organized with Home Edit , and I loved it!  Warning: watching this may create a desperate will to organize your house.    Functional and beautiful solutions Joanna and Clea are two friends and partners who create an entire business around the organization process. Yes, it might sound a bit weird at first, but they give a whole new meaning to the word “organization”. Watching the show is amazing and inspiring. They give you a lot of solutions and ideas that you can try out. Big spaces, small spaces, pantries, kids’ rooms, kitchens, offices, you name it. And you can get a lot of different ideas for each space. They always do it differently, according to the space, the items, and the client's needs. The best thing is: it looks perfect every time! This is the perfect show for someone who loves organizing (guilty!) and having everything perfectly displayed. I became obsessed! I even followed them on Instagram, and t...

  Getting curious… is not a typical show, but it's not a typical documentary either. It is something different. I gave it a try because I watch Jonathan Van Ness at Queer Eye . And I always find them so lovely and sweet that I needed to check it. It is a show that teaches you a couple of things. But it mostly makes you curious and more observant about your surroundings. Jonathan, being themselves, is playful, open-minded, and curious about so many different topics. The topics The topics they explore have a considerable variety, and they aren't related in any way I can see. It's just stuff about which they are curious. And it works! They talk about bugs, hair, non-binary gender identity, ice skating, skyscrapers, so many unrelated things! This diversity makes the show interesting. If you are not into one topic, skip for another episode. You'll probably find something that interests you.  I watched all of them, and some had an impact. Let me tell you that Jonathan is bra...

  It took me a long time to give Emily in Paris a shot because I thought it would be a silly, shallow comedy about some sort of influencer. Well, it is a silly, shallow comedy about some sort of influencer, but to be honest, I liked it.  Emily is a young talent in a marketing career and has the opportunity of her life: working in Paris for a year! And since her boyfriend is an idiot, she can try the full experience of being a single woman in the city of love.  Unfortunately, she is not as good at managing her personal life as she is at work. In fact, she is frankly terrible at making decisions outside work. Cultural Differences Everyone who has been in a foreign country knows that sometimes we get ourselves into awkward situations due to cultural differences. So watching someone else go through the same is quite funny. I must admit that seeing an American trying to speak French is hilarious. Of course, I’m not French (and French people who hear me trying to speak French ...

  After a slight disappointment with season one, this new season felt refreshing. It changed my perspective about the show. The Witcher is a story of war, and this season begins with the aftermath of the battle of Sodden. But now, Geralt has an important and delicate mission: Ciri. What makes someone a monster? This season also has a lot of introspection and self-analysis. The question, "What makes someone a monster?" arises from the very beginning. It is a subtle introduction to what was to come and the critical question of this season: Who is Ciri? Or even better: What is Ciri? In this season, there is a lot of questioning about most characters. Who are they? What are they? And some of them may surprise the viewer. For example, one of the main characters, Yennefer, has changed this season. She is vulnerable now and having second thoughts about herself. After all, who is she without magic? She is on a path of transformation and rediscovery. Generally speaking, in this seaso...

  Don't Look Up is a new movie on the Netflix catalog starring big names such as Leonardo DiCaprio , Jennifer Lawrence , and Meryl Streep . A group of "not that important" scientists from a university finds that a massive asteroid - an extinction-level event - is coming towards Earth. They must warn the world, but does the world want to be warned?  Great Cast and Dark Humor With a great cast, Don't Look Up is an unexpected comedy, full of dark humor and I laughed a lot.  Yet, and most importantly, this movie is a clever critique of modern society - absurd and ridiculous. Perfect Analogy  The concerns about Climate Changes were the inspiration for this movie, and they found the perfect analogy to develop the story. The movie has it all — it shows the inverted values we are living through, where power and politics are way more important than lives. The reaction of the President (Meryl Streep) either makes you laugh, or you'll get extremely angry. Does she remin...

  Finally, here it is, the first Portuguese show on Netflix ! Did I like it? Yes. Am I impartial? No. Glória tells us an intense story of espionage during the Cold War . It is not the kind of synopsis that would make me watch a show, but I gave it a try since it was our first. I was not disappointed. No one is who they claim to be Typical of any good spies’ movies, no one is who they claim to be or who they seem to be. And most characters are entirely aware of that. As a result, there is no safe place, not even inside the family. It builds a whole environment where everyone mistrusts everyone, creating lots of suspense and... It works! After a couple of episodes, I was slightly nervous. Portuguese history as well The plot is clever, and the writers had to do a lot of research, for sure. Elements of the Cold War were well connected with what was happening in Portugal at the time - the dictatorship, the PIDE (political police), the colonial war in Africa. It had an interesting psyc...

  Although I watched the first part of season 5 when it was released, I waited for the second part to do this review. I wanted to be sure they wouldn't ruin the show last minute, as happened in many others before. They didn't. When the 5th season came out, I wasn't that willing to watch it. I was tired of the concept. It was time to finish the story. I gave it a try, and fortunately, it was a good ending. Nerve-racking as always When I started watching this season, I thought, "Oh, I knew it, this is terrible." I didn't like the first couple of episodes: too much shooting and fake blood. Things got better, though.   Around the third episode, Money Heist becomes the nerve-racking, full of emotion show we were used to. Impossible to look away from the screen. Alicia This character grew into one of my favorites. She evolved wonderfully throughout the story and ended up as a magnificent character. I loved it, but she has her flaws as well, right?  Let's face i...

  The Unforgivable is a movie from Netflix with Sandra Bullock as Ruth Slater. She just came back to civilian life, after being 20 years in jail, for homicide. However, the struggle of her life is about to begin.    How…? This movie presents us with two important questions: “How far would you go to protect someone you love?” and “How long have you to pay for your mistakes?” None of them is new, and, none has an answer. Instead, they are simply two topics repeatedly explored in an infinity of movies and shows.  The narrative The story focuses on two main points: Ruth’s reintegration into society and her search for her little sister. Simple and full of potential. Yet, the final result is not as promising. These two premises had so many things to explore and so many ways of doing it. Yet, their choices were poor - languid rhythm, with too long plans. The use of flashbacks was a little too much as well. It gets the audience a bit tired. Emotions It is supposed to be an...

  How do you start over when everything is against you? Alex has an alcoholic husband who tends to become violent and has no help from anyone. Not even her mom and dad. So, she sees herself completely alone. Yet, she is a brave woman. She takes the most challenging decision for any domestic abuse victim: she leaves. She picks her daughter and leaves home. Yet, now, she has no job, no house, and no money. She left with only 18 dollars in her pocket.  You may cry The bravest of decisions has the most difficult of consequences. It always does, right? That’s why she is so brave. But, as a viewer, it breaks your heart to watch some of the scenes. At the beginning of the story, Alex doesn’t understand that she is a victim. He never actually hit her. With time and the right help, she comprehends what happened to her, but it doesn’t matter. Not for court, not even for her family. She has no bruises after all. How do you prove psychological abuse? Her partner says he loves her. He seem...

  This third season brings an interesting and new dynamic. Near Love's impulsiveness, Joe doesn't seem that bad now, which is, per se , scary. How does a serial killer cope with everyday life problems? Joe is now a married man with a little kid to take care of. He is an intelligent adult. He knows what he is supposed to do, how he is supposed to behave, but… can he? His compulsions didn't disappear, and the surrounding environment was not exactly healthy. The introvert and shy Joe lives in the suburbs now, with nosy neighbors. He can't possibly fit in.   Oh, and don't forget, there is a baby in the middle of it! Connection The connection between him, Love, and baby isn't compatible with his fantasy of a perfect dad. Things aren't what they suppose to be, and Joe realizes that. He quickly starts to question himself about his ability to connect.  Once more, deep thoughts and reflections. Hearing his thoughts, we have true insight into what is going on inside h...

  Sex, Love & Goop is a reality show from Netflix where Gwyneth Paltrow is the host. It involves couples with sexual issues and sexual therapists of many kinds and different techniques to help them. Is this a weird reality show about sex? Well, yes and no. The sexual component is vital for the show, but, in the end, it is about relationships and connections. I wouldn't say that it is a show for everyone; not all people are used to talk about sex and pleasure in such an open way. Yet, if you keep your mind open, you can learn a thing or two. The couples The couples they present us in the show are very normal - whatever 'normal' means. They are like you and me, and their problems are common and easy to relate to. One of the things I thought was very positive in the show is the fact that they gather very different couples - different ages, stages in life, or sexual orientation. So it can give you some different perspectives. I think those couples were brave to take part...

  I'm sure you already heard about Squid Game , also known as Round 6 in some countries. If you didn't… Well, it's not possible. It is a true phenomenon in the streaming platform Netflix , and it has been a target for polemics. Why? Squid game is a Korean show about a group of people playing children's games in a deadly version to earn money. With the right amount of mystery, drama, and action, the show is about to make the title of most-watched ever on the platform. The Chosen Ones When I first started watching the show, I found it a bit creepy. My reaction to the first episode was, "Wow, what the hell?" One of the first questions that may pop into your mind can be, "Who are these people?" The whole organization is creepy and weird. It will probably make you uncomfortable. The players, on the other hand, have an exact pattern. They are people full of debts, living in misery, and desperately in need of money. How far would they go to get it? How f...

  Clickbait is an intense thriller intending to show us that we never really know those near us. The most unexpected person can be the greatest danger. It has a well-built mystery story. Each episode focuses on the perspective of a different character. It enriches the story and gives it great emotional material. The family Nick disappears, and an online video announces he will die as soon as the video reaches 5 million views. This is how everything starts, but it is only the beginning of a complicated and intricate story. From my point of view, Nick’s family is the main character of the show. A devastated family, full of tragedy and doubts. Was Nick who they thought he was? Nick’s sister, Pia, is the one that believes him throughout all the show, yet, for some reason, she gets on my nerves.  Secrets and surprises As police and family investigate Nick’s disappearance, secrets seem to pop up from everywhere. The show doesn’t stop surprising us. Even when you think you already f...

  This show had a very positive evolution. It grew, improved, and approached a lot of topics that many would consider taboo . Check the previous review here . This season starts with a significant change at Moordale’s - Hope, the new head-teacher. She may look nice in the first 5 minutes, but you’ll quickly realize she is there to make the students’ life very difficult.  Relationships are more than sex The show always focused on the complexity of relationships, and despite its title, it talks about more than sex. To build a relationship, you must learn to listen, understand and deal with the other person. You need to discover them. The problem is, when you’re a teenager, you don’t know who you are yet. How would you be able to focus on others?  Have you ever felt weird? Sure. Who never, right? But do you remember the dimension those feelings could gain when you’re a teen?  There are more than boys and girls Gender identity is the new topic of the season. As usually ...